1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally related to cable connectors for providing electrical connections to and between coaxial cables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Coaxial cable has become widely used in recent years for a variety of applications including the delivery and distribution of television signals, electronic communications, distributed data networks, and in other uses. Coaxial cables include both an inner conductor, which is typically responsible for transmitting signals, and an outer conductor which encircles the inner conductor and is typically in the form of wire mesh, sometimes also with a foil covering. In many applications, this outer connector mesh is used to electronically shield the inner conductor and is sometimes referred to as the "cable sheath". The name "coaxial cable" is derived from the fact that the inner conductor and outer conductor run along the same axis within the cable. Coaxial cables typically include the aforementioned inner and outer conductors, with insulation in between, and also include a protective sheath or jacket on the external surface of the cable.
A wide variety of devices have been developed for making electrical connections to the inner and outer connectors. For example, coaxial cable connectors are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,458 to Komada; U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,240 to Komada; U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,964 to Forney et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,204 to Heng et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,651 to Bout; U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,174 to Sucht et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,606 to Ming-Hwa; U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,432 to Sucht et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,207 to Wright; U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,861 to Gaver et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,602 to McMills et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,392 to Hosler. There are several disadvantages with cable connectors in use today (including F, bNc, N, SMA and others) and those shown in the above prior art. For example, they typically include many different parts, require stripping operations to be performed on the cable end, and do not provide a quick installation feature along with a simple method to prevent water or debris from adversely affecting the cable conductors. The current invention obviates all of the aforementioned disadvantages, and can be applied to all sizes of coaxial cable and all types of connectors.